Pneumatic cleaner



Dec. 15, 1925- Re. ,2 4

D. B. REPLOGLE FNEUMATIC.CLEANER Original Filed June 5, 1916 Reissued Dec. 15, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

namnnr. nnrioem, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC CLEANER.

Original no. 1,345,550, .dated zrul fo, 1920; "serial No. 101395, sled June s, 1916. Application for s reissue filed October 22,

To all whom it may mm: f 1

Be itknown that I, DANIEL B. REPLOGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley,-in the county ofAlameda and State l of California, have invented anew and useful Pneumatic Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to manually portable pneumatic cleaners, and has for its. ob ects, improvement in the form, service,

convenience and durability of such devices. In the accompanying drawing the construction and arrangement of the parts and the entirety of the invention is Illustrated sufiiciently for others to makeand use the same.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation, part1 in central cross-section, rand with parts bro en away, of one of my improved cleaners. Fig. 2 is a front view of the lower part of same, but with the indicator cap valve member removed. Fig. 3 is a view of the lower portion of the device when manipulated to swee within the narrower vertically restricte places,

as under furniture. Fi .4 and 5 are top and side views respectively, detailing the indicator valve member. Fig. 6' details roller supports which are attached to the motor used. Fig. 7 details one of the rollers in an enlarged'cross-section, and shows its attachment to a roller support of .the floor tool.

In-the several views, like and similar parts are designated by similar characters.

The part designated 1 is a valve casing member with a fan case on its under side, said member having tubular socket conduit arms 2 and 3, each communicating with a central chamber 4 having cylindrical sides.

Intothis chamber fits, revolubly, the indi' -cator valve member 5 which has a side port 6 adapted to register with either the port 2' or the port 3'.'Of the member 1; and has 5 also a bottom port 7 leading into the fan centre during operation.. The lower side of the .port 6 is bounded by a deflecting hp 8 designed to direct entering dust against the transparent top 9, which is larger in diameter than the body of the valve part of the member, so asfito give an ampler space passage or port 2, o erably 1921. Serial no. 509,110.

3 ,sothat the'common axesof the motor and fan are inclined downwardly and rearward- 1y, when the hand is inclined to the normal working position.

An exhaust 13 fitted with a nipple 14 is arranged to lead the sweepings'thru a hose pipeor into a-dust bag or other collector that the user may prefer.

The motor is furnished with supporting rollers 15, 15 carried by a bracket 16 se-- cured to the motor at 17. The bracket supporting rollers are similar in construction to the rollers 15', 15' attached to the spring supports of the floor tool. These rollers, from the nature of their use, are specially constructed for this device. The outer covering 18' -is a cap-shaped tire, slid over a spool 19 ofanti'friction material to which it 1s securely joined with cement, the pin 20 on which the same is. to freely turn, having been first inserted. The inner end of the pin 20 is then riveted'to a lug of the spring roller support 21, which is re-. movably inserted into a socket in the end of the floor tool 23. y

A section ofthe ipe handle 22, extending from the arm 2 and communicating with the connects the floor tool by means 0 a swivel 'oint com-' posed of two members 24 and 25, t e member 25 having a hooked-over flange embracing loosely a flat flange of the member 24, so that the parts may rotatablyslide or turn on each other at the annular joint 26 thus formed.- The spring supports 21, 21 while.

the arm 3 and operably connecting with the port 3' also serves as the main part of the handle of the device. A clamp 29 anchoring an electric connector member 30 attachable to the conduction cord 31, is secured to this part of the handle, and the handle is further provided with a curved end 28, to which a suction hose or any cleaning tools made for suction apparatus of this kind, may be operabl attached. The sections of pipe are prefera ly of harl fibre which is light and a non-conductor of-electricity, as well 'as smooth and agreeable to the hand. The floor tool is also preferablv of similar material, which neither abrades nor discoiors the fabrics to be cleaned.

In the operation of the device, in sweeping, the rollers 15, 15, ordinarily are held clear of the floor by lifting. the handle; but to pass over the edges of rugs and the like, the device may be rested and tilted on them by lowering said handle. The projecting motor 11, while serving to give position to the rollers, also acts as a weight on the underside, giving the device a normal hang for service, and inclining the casing when tilted sidewise so as to clear furniture or other vertical obstructions.

Raising the outer end of the handle also serves to transfer the main weight of the motor from. its roller supportsto .those of the floor tool, compressing its spring-supports, and bringing the tool mouth into nor me] contact with the floor. In this way the tool neither scra es injurious'ly on the car pets nor is it he d so high thata too free entry of air is permitted, for effective cleana swingin of the motor on the axis of t e pi e han le, or by laying-it over by moving t e handle thru-an are described on an axis passing thru theswiveljoint and the supporting roller of the motor on which it then tilts, it is apparentthe floor tool will assume'diiferent angular positionswith reference to the common plane of the handle and motor axis. this mannerthe mouth of the floor tool is maintained in operconstruction, other out-of-the-way places ative relation to the floor, while the motor and handle may be swung over until the common plane of their axes is nearly arallel to the floor as shown in Fig. 3. paces under furniture may be reached and cleaned conveniently, in this way by my device.

Inaddition to these advantages of my may be reached by applying the end 28 bf the handle. This may be done by applying the end of the handle direct, by extending, or by equippingthe end of the handle,

ing it with rigid tubing, with flexible tubor any extension thereof with any suitable form of suction tool or cleaning device.

Suction produced bydriving the exhaust fan 12, causes air to rush in from the floor base boards. "Ihusit appears that a=numtion pipe handles, adapted to connect with carrying vacuum producing means and means or .controlhng the ports of said member. 7

passing dust. 'VVhen thus held, let it also be noticed, the swiveled floor tool with the rubber-capped rollers, may unobtrusively aline with the motor axis, or withthe forearm of the operator, causing no interference or damage to clothing.

The several pairs of rollers may lie in common planes or in diverse planes due to the angularit of the plane of rotation of the member 0 the swivel joint.

The indicator top, when running the-device under furniture, due to the angularity of position assumed, instead of being hidden from view, faces outwardly and upwardly in normal line of vision of the eye of the stooping operator. This indicator member is also readily removable so as to provide ready access to the fan, should anything become. entangled upon it during operation. Were the rollers not covered over, the ends of exposed spindles also would be liable to scratch base boards-while working beyondthe sight of the operator, as under furniture and were'they not removable, it would be less easy to clean close to the edges of her of novel'features cooperate to advantage in this form of cleaner, yet the exact details of. construction may of course be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, whatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a manually portable vacuum cleaner, the combination with a member having tubular socket conduit arms carrying vacuum producing means, of a plurality of suction pipes operably connected to said arms, and adapted to connect with suction tools at their outer ends.

2., In a manually ortable vacuum cleaner of the kind descri ed, a plurality of succleaning tools at their outer ends, and operably connecting to a common port member 3. In a portable pneumatic cleaner, the

combination! of suction producing means,-

a pair of tubular socket conduit arms connectmg with said means and' a pair of suction pipe handles, in axial alinement, connecting with said arms, andadapted to con tion pipe handle mg thereto,

nect with cleaning tools at their outer ends.

4.. In a manually portable vacuum cleaner, suction producing means,.a member having a central port and two axially alined tubular socket conduit arms, carrying said means and having a pair of suction pipes operably connecting with said means, together with means for directing suction thru one or the other of said pipes. f r

5. In a manually portable pneumatic cleaner, suction producing means, a valve casing member carrying said means, said member having a cylindrical chamber, a pair of side ports leading from opposite sides of said chamber, pipes operably connecting with said side ports and adapted to connect with suction tools at their outer ends, and a cylindrical valve member revolubly fitted into said chamber and adapted to seal and open said ports interchangeably.

6. In a manually portable suction cleaner, the combination with a suction pipe handle adapted to connect with cleaning tools at its outer end, of suction producing means operably connected on the underside of said handle, a separate floor cleaning tool operably connected with the suction producing means, the said suction producing means provided with supporting rollers arranged to-serve as a fulcrum to tilt the'eleaning tool from the floor in the operation thereof.

7. In a manually portable pneumatic cleaner, a central valve casing member, suction producing means carried thereby, a sue and a floor tool operably connected to said valve casing member, together with a rotating valve in said valve casing member arranged for interchangeably opening and closing off the suction thru said handle and floor tool.

8. In a manually portable pneumatic cleaner having a floor tool, a handle and suction producing ably mounted upon a side of said handle, a curved portion on the outer end of said suction ipe handle, curved to the side of the handle on which the suction producing means is connected, roller supports arranged to support the device in a working position, having the main part of the suction pipe handle thereof, normally at an incline, and the outer extremity of the curved part .nor mally horizontal.

9. In an air cleaning device, suction producing means, operably connected sections of suction pipes leading from opposite directions to said means and operatively joina transparent-topped rotatable means opersuction pipe,

controlling valve at the junction of said pi es and suction producing means, said. valve being removable and replaceable and adapted for observation as well as interchangeably-directing air currents or suction from the oppositely leading sections of pipe.

10. A manually portable cleaning device com rising a fan-case, a cleaning tool, a handle having a tubular part operably connecting said tool to thefan-caseja fan and a motor for driving the same, the common axes thereof extending at substantially a perpendicular to said handle and rigidly secured in said position. v

11. A suction cleaner casing, in combination with a fan and motor, their common axes downwardly and rca-rwardly inclined.

12. In combination with a pneumatic cleaner, the herein described revoluble valve member comprising a hollow cylindrical .body having a side port and a bottom port adapted to conduct the passage of air therethru .in cleaning, and further comprising a body extension of larger diameter, annularly disposed around one end of the said cylindrical body, providing ampler space for whirling dust carrying air; means for directing thereinlo the dust carrying air from the air passages of the cleaner and whirlingthe same within the ampler space aforesaid, and a transparent cover enclosing the larger diameter end of the body of said valve member, together with means for operably and detachably .connecting the 'alve member to the cleaner.

13. A'suction cleaner having a suction chamber, a fan chamber and a motor ar ranged in the order indicated from front to rear, the common axes of fan and motor downwardly and r iarwardly inclined.

14. A suction cleaner casing in combination with a. fan and motor, their common axes downwardly and rearwm'dly inclined, the lowest art of the motor being approximately in tie same plane as the lowest part of the casing.

15/A suction cleaner having a suction chamber, a fan chamber and a motor arranged in the order indicated from front to rear, the common axes of fan and motor downwardly and rearwardly inclined, the lowest part of themotor being approximately in the same plane as the lowest part of the suction chamber.

In witness whereof have hcnumto set my hand at Washington, I). (l, this 22 day of October, 1921.

DANIEL B. REPLOGLE. 

